Neutralized
by Unproductive-Fangirl
Summary: So you know how all of Adrian's drawings disappeared when he neutralized himself? That would include the stitches holding Ruby's stab wounds closed, so she would have known immediately something was wrong. Except she thinks Adrian can't be neutralized, so she would have had no choice but to think the worst when she starts bleeding. This is my attempt to capture those thoughts.


Max noticed the blood first. He came skidding to a halt, and it took Ruby a few steps to realize he had. Stopping as well she turned to face him, frowning, "What's wrong? We're almost there we have to keep going-"

"You're bleeding." The comment didn't have a lot of emotion in it, but it was clear from his face that Max was concerned.

"What?" But even as she asked the question Ruby noticed her uniform sticking to her, namely her torso, but her arm as well. It only took a second for her to realize where it had to be coming from.

But that wasn't possible. The stab wounds had been stitched up. Sure Adrians drawings faded sometimes, but as far as she was aware that was only living things, and even then it took days. There was no reason the stitches should have disappeared. Except…

She shook the thought away before it even fully formed. No. There was another explanation.

"You're bleeding," Max repeated, still looking at her with concern "What happened? Everything was fine and then suddenly you were bleeding-"

"Hey- it's okay," Ruby assured quickly, forcing herself to give him a small smile even if her brain was spinning. If the stitches had disappeared then it wasn't okay. It meant meant something had happened, and it wasn't good. The only reason the stitches would have disappeared was if Adrian had been neutralized.

Except Adrian couldn't be neutralized.

Her mind was spinning, but she was fighting back the thoughts. There was something else she wasn't thinking of. Some other reason Adrian's power had failed.

Then her eyes landed on Max again, looking at her and clearly still worried, maybe even a little scared. She couldn't tell him the truth. Not right now. Not when the whole city was relying on him. Not when she didn't know for sure.

And she didn't know for sure.

She needed to believe that. That there was some reason the tattoo had failed. Some how the Anarchists had found a way to neutralize him despite it. Not that Adrian being neutralized was great either, but it was better then the alternative.

"I'm alright," Ruby repeated, still giving him a small smile, appearing calm despite her inner thoughts "Just pulled some stitches- come on. We have to keep going."

Maybe that really was all it was. She had pulled the stitches and not noticed with everything that was happening. Except it didn't really make sense. Maybe her stomach or chest could have been pulled from running, but her arm? There was no reason for those stitches to pull free. And all of them at the same time seemed really unlikely.

Luckily Max didn't seem as thoughtful about it as her. He nodded a bit, looking at her for just a moment, before turning to keep running. Taking a deep breath, Ruby followed him.

As she ran Ruby's brain spun despite her wishes. It kept coming back to the same thought, that there was only one reason Adrian's drawings would have disappeared. But that wasn't possible. Oscar and Danna were with him, they would look after each other.

Oscar and Danna were with him.

If Adrian was… then where were they? Guilt added to the emotions Ruby was already feeling. She should have gone with them, should have been with her team. There was no reason she couldn't have gone. Sure, she didn't have powers, but she didn't need them. All she needed was a string with a hook. She knew The Captain wouldn't have agreed. That Adrian and the others wouldn't have agreed, but she should have gone anyway. She belonged with her team. She should should have been with them.

Except it didn't matter because they were fine. They had to be fine.

They turned a corner and Ruby could see the Renegades crowded around the doom. They were almost there. She would get Max where he needed to be and then she would find Nova and the two of them would be the first ones in when the wall came down. They'd find the others and help them. Maybe even sneak down to the tunnel to go in after them-

Ruby stumbled, falling into the building next to her. She had been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't realized how weak her legs were getting. How soaked her clothes were. She had hoped the tight fitting uniform would be enough to help slow some of the bleeding. Apparently she was wrong.

Max skidded to a stop, looking back at her "Ruby?"

"I'm alright-" She assured, giving him a small smile, trying to push herself off the wall but dizziness over took her and she grabbed it again. "You're going to have to do the last bit on your own- Simon and Hugh are at the front of the group- they'll tell you want to do-"

"The prodigies-"

"They know you're coming, they'll make room for you so you don't take much from them-" Ruby assured, still doing her best to smile though she felt dizzy even while leaning on the wall. "Go-"

"You're not alright-"

"Max, if they can't stop him none of us will be alright- go-"

He hesitated, before nodding "I'll send the first healer I find-" and then he turned and ran towards the crowd again.

Ruby watched him go, hand still bracing herself against the wall. Everything was starting to spin. Her free arm went to her stomach to try and stop where most of the blood was coming from, but she knew it was pointless. Slowly she lowered herself so she was sitting, leaning back against the building.

Everything was going to be fine. Her team knew what they were doing. Closing her eyes she forced herself to believe that.

Yet, she couldn't deny the blood soaking her. How tired she suddenly felt. That the stitches had disappeared. Something had happened to Adrian, and Oscar and Danna were with him.

Ruby should have been with them too.

She should have been with her team.

Then the world went black.


End file.
